Sprocket-chain housing.



I P. ALTMAN.

SPROGKET, CHAIN HOUSING.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 2 1913.

1,1 1 3, 148. Patented Oct. 6, 1914;

2 SKEETSSHBET 1.

am/05M llmeriilaliwwy E. F. AL'IMALI. SPBQCKET CHAIN HOUSING. APPLICATION YILED JULY24, 191s.

Patented Oct. 6, 1914.

2 SHEETSSHBET 2.

umtm Y'ZAZZman/ Mme ELMER F. ALTI IAN, 0F MINNEAPOLIS, IIIINNESOTA.

SPROCKET-CHAIN HOUSING.

specification of Letters 2atent.

Patented Oct. 6, 191-1..

Application filed any 24, 1913. Serial No. 781,012.

To all 17mm it may concern:

Be it known that 1, Emma FI ALTMAN, a citizen of the United States, residing at Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Ivlinnesota, have indented certain new and useful Improvements in Sprocket Chain Housings; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of theinvcntion. such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to machine ele ments and more especially to sprocket gears; and the object of the same is to produce an improved housing or case which will cover both sprocket wheels and the chain that connects them and will inclose all parts in an oil-tight manner while yet permitting adjustments and a certain deree of flexibility. This object is accomplished by the construction hereinafter more fully described and claimed and as shown in the drawings wherein-= Figure 1 is a side elevation of this housing complete. Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal sectional view with the gears and chain in place. Fig. 3 is an enlarged longitudinal sectional view of the driven-sprocket member of this housing, with its parts slightly separated. Fig. l is a side elevation of certain parts of that member which surrounds the powersprocket, said parts being slightly separated. Fig. is a front elevation of the rear member. Fig. is a plan View of the lower part of the intermediate or chain member.

in the drawings 1 have shown this housing as having its members and the parts thereof connected around the driving mechanism of a chain-driven automobile, and the letter S designates the power shaft thereof connected by bevel gears B with a jack shaft J carrying the powersprocket P. Said sprocket is connected by a chain C with the driven sprocket D the latter being attached directly or througlrthe instrumentality of differential mechanism (not shown) with the rear axle A in a manner well understood in this art.

The purpose of the present invention is to exclude dust and dirt and to retain oil and grease, while yet permitting a'certain flexibility as necessitated when the rear axle rises and falls with respect to the automobile framework.

Coming now to the present invention, the

' the housing as a whole is made in three members whereof one surrounds the driven sprocket D, another the chain, and the third the power sprocket P; and each member is made in parts which may be easily cast or formed, assembled readily, and taken apart when necessary. The driven-sprocket member is composed of a substantially globular body 1 whose front end is flattened laterally as at 2 and provided with radial flanges 3, whose sides are pierced with openings at surrounded by two-part bearings 5 andtl connected by screws or bolts 7 so that they may be separated when desired; and whose rear portion is cut ed on an oblique line S and surrounded by a flange 9-thereby producing a large inspection opening as seen in Fig. 3. Over this opening fits a domeshaped cap 10 having a surrounding flange 11 which may be bolted or screwed at 12 to the flange 9 of the body 1 in any suitable way, and this cap itself may have an opening closed by a plug 13 for removal when user desires to see the difierential without reaching" or removing the parts.

The chain-inclosing member is made up of upper and lower duplicated parts of which a plan view of the lowermost is seen in Fig. ('3. This comprises narrow body 21 having side flanges 22 for connection with similar flanges on the upper part 23 of saidbody by means of screws or bolts 24, and also having a flange 25 around its rear end for connection by means of screws or bolts 26 with the flange 3 around the front end of the rear member; and the front ends of both parts 21 and 28 are enlarged laterally into a cup-shaped structure 27 having a bell mouth 28.

The power-sprocket member is made up' of several parts; Slidably mounted within said bell mouth 28 is a packing ring 80 disposed in a groove which is formed by connecting the members shown at the right of Fig. 4. An annulus 3lhas a half-groove on its outer face and its smaller end is reduced and threaded as at 32; a. band 33 is formed at one end with the other halfgroove on its outer face and is internally threaded to receive the threaded portion 32; and when these parts are screwed together as seen in Fig. 2, they are held from unscrewing by inserting a set screw 34. The parts thus far described are connected with the body portion 35 of this member by an engaging shoulder 36 and a screw or bolt 37,

the passage of the shaft S and at its upper 'corneran inspect-ion opening 38 closed by a cap plate 39 removably held thereon inany suitable manner, as by screws or bolts 40. In the opening around the'shaft- S is packing 41 of any suitable type in order to prevent dirt from entering this portion of the housing. At the rear portion of this part 35 is a ring 42 for attachment to the band 33 in the manner above described, and from said ring project two eyes 43 'for the bearings (not shown) in which is journaled the jack shaft J of the power sprocket P and the bevel gear which is driven by the power gear or shaft S. This separation of the members'42 and 33 is obviously for the purpose of'pei'mitting the'machining of m ="Th ,f wa1-d portion of the body part,-

byjz're'ference has side plates l-l piercedbol'j or screw-holes'45 by means of whiclilfihis member of the housing may be attache'djto spnie 'slipport beneath the automobileffriim Iinay here add that the sides of the rate or drive-sprocket member are also. by preference provided with plates or rings 46 pierced with bolt-holes 47' so that the rear-axle casin 5 may be attached there to,altl1'ough this eature forms no part of adth in ention; nor-does the specific iiiode u tinting the front member beneath Jitomobile framework. Thus is built iii) a housing for the driving and driven "gears and'the chain of a chain-drive con- .tH'jiiection between the power shaft S andthe r ear'l'axle A of an automobile; and all'parts fm assembled as best seen in Fig. 2. As the rear axle rises and falls with reference to the automobile frame. as the rear springs and the inequalities of the roadway necessitate, the rear member of the housing and the chain member thereof will partake of this movement while the forward member remains fixed as it is rigidly bolted or screwed to the frame. there must be a certain flexibility where the chain member surrounds the front member,

and this is permitted by reason of the packing fitting closely but loosely within the 50 bell mouth'28 of the chain member. When the distance between the-axle A and the jack shaft isadjusted to tighten-the chain,

the packing ring 30 will slide within said bell mouth, Yet it will ever maintain a s5 grease-tight and dust-tight connection there-' with. so that no oil or grease within the housing can escape and no dust or dirt on the exterior can enter.

Access to the rear member may belhad so through the opening closed by the plug 13,

or access to its interior when the parts are to be repaired or removed may be had by removing the entire cap 10. Access to the front member may be had by removing the es plate 39 The parts of the intermediate The result is that member may be provided with openings closed by suitable covers 50 and 51, and when the latter are removed the interior of this member of the housing (2a.. be inspected; but when it is desired to gain access to the interior as for repairing a broken link of the chain, the upper part 23 can be entirely remored from the lower part 21. by disconnecting the bolts or screws 2* along both sides and the bolts or screws 26 through itsrear flange and then lifting the part 23 out of place. At this time acces may be had to the set screw 34, and when the same is loosened the annulus 31 may be withdrawn and the packing ring 30 replaced in case it has become worn. In fact,-the removal of the upper part of the intermediate mem oer gives access to the adjacent ends of both the other members.

The parts are all oi the desired materials 5 and proportions, and'changes in details may be made without departing from the prin ciple of my inventio IV-hat is claimed as new is:

1. In a sprocket housing of the class described, the combination with a chain member having a bell mouth; of a sprocket member comprising a band slidably fitting within said mouth, a body portion having a ring detachably connected with said band, and eyes projecting from said body portion for the purpose set forth. I

2. In a sprocket housing of the class described, the combination with a chain memher having a bell mouth; of a gear member comprising a band slidably mounted in said mouth. a body portion having a ring, a shoulder-within the band which said rin fits, means for holding these parts connecte an inspection opening being provided in the 10s body portion, means for removably closing this opening. and a pair of eyes projecting from the body portion.

3. The herein described sprocket housing comprising a substantially globular body cut off by an oblique plane at its rear end and provided with an opening in said plane and with flanges around said openin and flattened at its front end and cut 0 by a substantially vertical plane in which it is also provided with flanges, the side walls of said body portion having openings surroundedby flanges for attachment to the axle casings, two-part bearings within said latter openings, acap for closing the open rear portion of said body, the cap being surrounded by a-flange and pierced with an opening, bolts passing throu h this flange and through that in said obiique plane, a I plug movably closing said rear opening, and a chain member detachably-connect'ed with the other flange. v

4. The herein described chain and sprocket? housing, the same comprising a hwerv sprockehmember consisting oi a' y por- 1ft) 1,113,:eie

irings therein, a band detachd with said portion and haviiar groove, and packing Within 5 a chain member made in two 1 flanges aiongtheir SiLLQS 1 at "their rear ends, each p eed with an inspection opening, and faies reniovahly closing said openings the POflt end of said chain-member hm'ii a heii mouth siidabiv inclosing said p Hg; and a driven-sprocketmember consisting of a body portion having an opening in iis i'mnt end, a flange around this opening detachabiy connected with the flange at the year end oi": the chain member, said driven :zmnher also having openings e for the passage of the and an opening atits rear, a closing the iast-nan'ied open rocket housing for the chain the combination wi lh eh shaf' a; right angies and power sprocket on driven spiw- -cet nest said s n-echei a heii mouih at v a di'iwn .3 mnneeted with in?! in-n3 between remade inc-losing the now gear and jack shaft and having eyes; for the bearings of the jack shaft whereby this member centered on said jack sin it irre- ."PECiiVE of the movements of the other illefll 6. In spi'oekeiz housing for theehainhive of aniionioiiiiee, the eonibinat on with he d 'iving shah, jack shaft at ri angies hereto, power sprocket on the jyifii sn ft, rear axle, driven sprocket thereon and chain connecting said sprockets; 01 :1 pewen sprocket housing-member ineiosing the di'iv ing mechanism and driving end of the chain and having supports for the jaei; shaft hearings whereby this ineieber in centered around the jack shaft, a difiw *piocket member Connected ith the e housing and centered around d1. )L'OCiiQt, a chain member adapted to he connected with the rear axie imusinq and ilif'i b the chain, and ijcieeeopic e a I ween This nien'ihei' and the ffiii't n1einher whereby snehnnmbei, each other on a 1210i. shaft so that the houing moves on the sauna rear end 0 

